Most of us want what we think of as a 'modern' kitchen. But what, exactly is a modern kitchen? Can't the term 'modern' be used to describe every kitchen that employs electricity? Technically, aren't all kitchens considered a modern convenience? If so, how do you get modern ideas?

When choosing furniture for your kitchen, ask yourself if you want to use art as inspiration behind your furniture choices. Modern art employs simple shapes, clean lines and bold color choices. The fewer design elements, the happier the artist becomes. A kitchen chair, for example, will consist usually of a single-piece seat that sits on four straight legs. The kitchen cabinets should be in simple shapes: squares or rectangles with simply shaped handles. These cabinets should be in bold colors or white. Chrome handles are common in the modern kitchen. If these ideas do not appeal to you, your kitchen might be based upon other design elements.

By standard definition, a modern kitchen is any kitchen that uses electricity or natural gas. So technically speaking, I guess every kitchen in the western world is known as a modern kitchen. However for the purposes of this article, we're going to expand the definition and focus on the conveniences of modern kitchen design and the benefits that you can potentially enjoy every day no matter your lifestyle.

Typically, in a kitchen, there is little decoration. The most decoration will come from the color chosen for the cabinetry, furniture and appliances. Some choose to paint everything a single color. Others choose to paint the walls and cabinets a single color while choosing appliances and cookware that is painted in a sharply contrasting color. If your kitchen space is small, you can create the illusion of space by choosing a single color for your walls and appliances. If your kitchen is larger, you can create textures and a decorative feel by choosing contrasting colors.

Technology is typically the first association people make with the word 'modern.' And if you want your kitchen to be technologically advanced you will focus on computer chipped appliances and computers. Today appliances use computers to set temperatures, timers, food expiration dates, and even alerts for inventory restocking. A modern kitchen may very well include a large flat screen TV to display recipes, family calendars, household schedules, and it's certainly more fun to cook while watching videos, searching websites, or listening to music.

Some people might scoff at the idea of a chair being a work of art but contemporary kitchen chairs are often exactly that. The sign of the modern kitchen chair is that it does not have to serve any real purpose for people to appreciate it on an artistic level. Are your hairs artistic enough to fulfill that requirement? Could you sit one of your chairs in the living room, not put anything on it and still have people admire it for its artistic merits? If so, then you have modern kitchen chairs!